Excellent Mileage - What's Happening?
 

For some reason my tired KLR is now getting 65 MPG on the twisty, fun and fuel-inefficient roads of Colombia & Venezuela. Prior to a service and valve-job it was about 45 MPG and never before got better than 55. This seems kinda nice, but, hey, petrol is only 4 cents a litre so using more won't bust the budget. Could there be something bad - say, the bike running too lean - underlying such a sudden change?

Gracias,
JC

How many miles on your bike? Sometime a new bike will not get as good mileage as one with a few miles on it. As the engine gets broke in it runs smoother and has less friction thus more power and better gas mileage. Also the valves may have been a little off from the factory. Unless you are having other issues with the bike like a rattle, low power etc I would not be worried.

------------------
John

The biggest affect on Fuel Mileage on my KLR650 is my riding style. On a twisty Guatemalian road with hills, I got my peak of 68mpg. However I was feeling like shit that day so I road at a restrained pace.

Dong over 100mph for extended periods with winds, I get my worse MPG.

Typically I'll get anywhere from 40mpg to 60mpg based on my riding style. If the view is really good, perhaps you are spending more time looking at the view rather than yanking the throttle.

For reference I have lubed wheel bearings, stock fuel jetting, lubed chain, and one tooth down on the front sprocket. My motorcycle has about 6% leak in a leak down test, and the leak comes from the piston rings.

Your valve job probably did a good deal to increase the MPG by reducing leakage and increasing compression.

--Terry

I went from mid 40s to nearly 60 by having the carb drilled out and rejetted by my local Kawi dealer. I should have done that 30k ago!!

The engine was at 30,000 miles when the great mileage started; perhaps it was the carb, as the mileage is back down to low-50's after 15,000 miles in Brasil, with the intake system frequently fouled. One Brasilian mechanic didn't reconnect the hose from the airbox to the carb properly, so she was sucking in unfiltered sand and dirt for hundreds of miles, but still kept going! KLR's seem to like abuse...

Thanks heaps,
James